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Nuclear Weapons Truckers...Drinking; 119 Afghan Candidates Disqualified; Cholera Outbreak In Haiti; Helping Girls Build Self- Esteem; TSA Pat-Downs; Obama Deserve Re-election?

Aired November 22, 2010 - 16:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: There is big-time uproar over all these new pat-downs on the airport, but are some of the passengers just acting like a bunch of wimps? You'll hear both sides.

And also, might the TSA be able to cave in just before the holiday rush? I'm Brooke Baldwin. The news is now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): A possible break in one of the biggest unsolved mysteries of our time. Could we now be just hours away from finally learning what happened to Natalee Holloway? We're live in Aruba.

Plus, an urgent man had underway for the person possibly linked in the shooting of a park ranger in Utah.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of premises like a person can crawl into to get out of the weather.

BALDWIN: Police believe the guy they're looking for is armed, dangerous, and could be hiding in a public park. I'll tell you what he left behind.

And what is it like to be the gubernator's daughter. Wait until you hear what Katherine Schwarzenegger says about life at home and why she was once ashamed of her body. She joins me in the studio live.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN (on-camera): Hi, everyone. I'm Brooke Baldwin. Welcome to the NEWSROOM. Top of the hour, we begin with some breaking news. A tragedy unfolding on a massive mass of scale in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh. Take a look at these pictures with me. Here's what we know. There was a human stampede. Hundreds of people are dead.

Look, the pictures, the video, the witness accounts are horrific. On the phone with me now Steve Finch. He's a reporter with the "Phnom Penh Post". Steve, the latest number I still have from Cambodia's minister of information, 339 people dead. What sparked the stampede?

VOICE OF STEVE FINCH, REPORTER PHNOM PENH POST: So, I'm always variant (ph) it was the wall festival now in Phnom Penh. There was huge number of people in this little island just off the river in Phnom Penh with the bridge that connects, the two together, and there were just too many people on this bridge.

And we're hearing from witnesses on the scene that the police starting firing water cannons to move people across the bridge. And that seemed to trigger the situation in which people were electrocuted because there were lines and tables on the bridge. And then we're hearing that people were falling into the water and people were electrocuted on mass. And now, the death toll is 339.

BALDWIN: Investigators looking for bodies, from what I understand, in the river below that bridge and, of course, on that bridge as well. Tell me, do you know any numbers as far as injuries go, Steve?

FINCH: We were hearing from the prime minister that it was signed (ph) 329 people were reported injured. That was just a few hours ago. (INAUDIBLE) get an update again tonight, but there's a press conference tomorrow in which there'll be a more detailed account in the number of dead and injured and so an explanation of what happens.

BALDWIN: And this happened in a couple of hours ago, 10:00 p.m. It was evening, your time. And just to put this in perspective, the prime minister, you said, came out. So, this is the biggest disaster, biggest tragedy since the Khmer Rouge?

FINCH: Yes. (INAUDIBLE) was on the live television just a few hours ago saying -- you know, just trying to shut off the scale of the tragedy. And then, I was on the hospital -- one of the hospitals that was receiving the victims and, you know, the bodies were lined up outside. I mean, it really was quite gruesome seeing that.

BALDWIN: Bodies lined up outside. We're looking at pictures of people being rushed to the hospital. I mean, you know country, this is one of the poorer countries in this region of the world. Can the hospitals handle this?

FINCH: I mean, certainly, the (INAUDIBLE) of health care here is not good. I think if you look at what was happening at the scene, I think the emergency (ph) seems to be doing a good job. I mean, there was a lot of ambulances and police cars streaming just some of the bridge and then taking people away to the main hospital to the city (ph). But, of course, the question is can, yes, like you said, can the hospitals tight (ph) with the scale this incident? And certainly, they were overflowing. One of the hospitals was that I saw. And, yes, I mean, the facility there, not good.

BALDWIN: Horrific. Steve Finch of the "Phnom Penh Post" on the phone with me all the way from Cambodia. Steven, thank you. We will stay on this story. We're making phone calls digging as well.

Also unfolding right now, rapid fire. Let's go. A driver responsible for a truck full of nuclear weapons and alcohol? Obviously, that's not a good mix, also not a good movie plot as well. And the Energy Department said watchdog is telling us about it. Listen to this. Investigators found 16 alcohol-related incidents involving government agents hired to drive nuclear weapons and components.

The two most troubling happened during extended missions while agents check in the local hotels and the vehicles were placed in what's called safe harbor. In 2007, the agent arrested for public intoxication. And last year, two agents were handcuffed and detain by police after an incident at a local bar.

Next, two Afghanistan now where I have to tell you about some political uncertainty there today. Two months after parliamentary elections, 119 candidates have been disqualified. Most of them are suspected of fraud in connection with all the voting. Twenty-five of those candidates had already locked in their seats. A spokesman for the country's Electoral Complaints Commission also tells us more than 330 polling places have been declared invalid.

Next, Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah is on his way here, to the U.S., for medical treatment. The country's state-run media tells us the king has a herniated spinal disk and a blood clot that's causing him some back pain. They also say he is healthy. He is in stable condition. King Abdullah is 86 years of age and has ruled Saudi Arabia since August of 2005 when his half brother, King Fahd died.

Next, a plea today from the families of two American hikers held on suspicion of espionage charges in Iran. Please let them go. This will be our second Thanksgiving without them. That's what they're begging there. Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal had been held in that Iranian prison for more than a year now.

A third hiker, Sara Shourd, she was released just a couple of months ago in September to get medical treatment. Iran says all three illegally crossed the border from Iraq. And just yesterday, the government postponed the trial for Bauer and Fatall until February.

Next, United Nations is talking about those rumors that Nepali's peacekeepers had something to do with that outbreak of cholera in Haiti. You remember the pictures of protesters angry from last week? Well, cholera victims accusing peacekeepers of bringing the cholera bacteria from Nepal. The U.N. said they have investigated and that suspicion just doesn't seem likely. Here's what they say.

FARHAN HAQ, SPOKESMAN FOR U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL: But at the same time, yes, we have been meeting with different experts, including epidemiologists. I think last week, I gave a summary of the various tests we had done at the area of the Nepalese battalion and those tests, as I -- as I pointed out at the time, had all been negative. And yet, that's not conclusive in terms of excluding them from the possibility of this particular outbreak, but neither does it support the theory that they had anything to do with that outbreak.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Well, here's what we know looking forward, the U.N. is sending one of the humanitarian officials to Haiti tomorrow to check on how the cholera victims are being treated.

Next, back here at home. Here's a tough one -- a toddler falls to his death from a luxury suite at Staples Center out in L.A. Folks, that is about a 50-foot drop. It happened last night minutes after the Lakers beat the Golden State Warriors. Police say this little guy who is all of 2 or 3 years old died at the hospital. Obviously, they're investigating.

Next, get ready to pay more if you're hitting the road for the Thanksgiving holiday. Take a look. Gas prices are 23 cents higher this year over last year. That is for prices nationwide, according to Triple A, but that's not exactly going to stop people from going to visit their family and friends. Triple A spokeswoman here in Georgia tells us the people will still drive because it's cheaper in the long run than flying.

And next, just in here, we're getting word that the military had had to scramble two M-16 fighter jets after some sort of small passenger plane violated air space in the nation's capitol. So today, just as part of standard operating procedure, they had to evacuate part of the White House at least briefly.

We know that the jets escorted the plane to an airport in Virginia, in Manassas, Virginia. We're also told officials are out there interviewing the pilot. No word as whether or not that plane actually posed a risk. But as soon as we get an update on that, I'll pass it along to you.

And now, listen to this -- police find a rifle, a backpack, and a blood-soaked T-shirt at a park in Utah, and they found those things after a park ranger was shot. Now, they're looking for someone they believe is armed and dangerous. That is ahead.

Plus, five years later and still no answers for Natalee Holloway's family. But -- everything could change in just a matter of hours. We are live in Aruba on the story, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Welcome back to NEWSROOM. You know, it's not just sad, it's hard to believe. 5 1/2 years, it has been 5 1/2 years since Alabama high school student, Natalee Holloway, last was seen alive on the island of Aruba. 5 1/2 years.

In the meantime, the Dutch national once suspected in the case has been arrested in Peru in an alleged murder wrap. Now, there's possible movement on the story. And for that, we go live to Aruba and CNN's Jean Casarez. And Jean, I know that there is a huge announcement coming out of Aruba tomorrow with regard to the testing of the molar and jawbone. Is that right?

JEAN CASAREZ, CORRESPONDENT, "IN SESSION" ON TRUTV": That's right. We confirmed with the solicitor general, Taco Stein, that tomorrow afternoon, it is believed that the forensic testing results will be announced here in Aruba. The prosecutor's office behind me will be done via press release and e-mail with impossible (ph) live questions after that with Aruban prosecutors, but this jawbone and a tooth that was found by a family from Massachusetts. They were here and on the 12th of November were on the beach near the Phoenix Hotel, they found what they believed was to be a human jawbone with at least one tooth. They took it to the hotel who took it to police. They hand delivered it to the Hague in the Netherlands, the Netherlands Forensic Institute. It is being compared and has been with Natalee Holloway's DNA from her mother and from her father, as well as from dental records that arrived in the Netherlands midweek last week. Well, tomorrow is the day that we will get, we believe, in the afternoon, the results from that forensic testing.

BALDWIN: Now, when you say, Jean, the results from the forensic testing, is that going to be the prosecutor just coming out and saying, hey, we know for a fact this is human and not animal or will they take it a step further and say definitively yes or no this is Natalee Holloway.

CASAREZ: You know, Brooke, I think it can be anything. I really do. I think it could be conclusively that it is Natalee Holloway's partial jawbone. That she is excluded from a human jawbone. That it is not hers. I think it also potentially could be that being worn by the elements for 5 1/2 years that they cannot determine one way or the other.

You know, Brooke, I was down at the ocean where the jawbone was found. And we saw some shells, and I was shocked of the wear that shells can get from the beating of the water. It was amazing. And if you look at a shell and think about a bone, obviously, 5 1/2 years would be a long time to have a lot of wear on those remains.

BALDWIN: It's a long time to have a lot of wear on remains. It's also a long time for a mother to wait to know where her daughter is. What happened to her daughter? Do we know where Beth Twitty is? Is she in Aruba? Is she in Alabama? And what has she said?

CASAREZ: She is in Alabama. And she is very, very grief stricken, should we say, waiting for this. She is the mother of this young girl that went missing. And so, she is sitting on the edge of her seat as well as the rest of us. And then, I'll tell you, everybody on this island knows about this. Everybody wants to know. They pass our live shot and say, what is it, do you know? So, the pulse (ph) of this community is with Natalee Holloway and what tomorrow's announcement may bring.

BALDWIN: And finally, Jean, Joran Van Der Sloot, he was never officially charged with anything with regard to Natalee Holloway's disappearance. He was always a suspect. And he's sitting in Peru.

CASAREZ: He is sitting in Peru charged with first degree murder. And Joran Van Der Sloot arrested twice here in Aruba, released twice. The prosecutors have always said that they are just waiting for forensic evidence to corroborate his many stories that all have to do with her body being put in water, but saying that, this island is full of water. Everywhere you go, there is a swamp, a pond, or, of course, the ocean.

BALDWIN: Well, Jean Casarez, we will most definitely have a date with you tomorrow to see what they decide, what the test results indicate tomorrow from Aruba. So, we'll see you then for an update. Jean, thank you.

Her father is the governor of California and one of, perhaps, the biggest movie stars -- the biggest movie stars really in the world. So what in the world must life be like for Katherine Schwarzenegger. She is good enough to join me live in Atlanta to talk about her famous family and dealing, you know, with a lot of young women deal with, body image problems.

She's talking about this new book. It's called "Rock What You've Got." You won't want to miss that. That is ahead.

Plus, they were in-charge of protecting President John F. Kennedy on the day he was killed. And now, after decades of silence, many of his Secret Service agents are finally speaking out their fascinating story, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: We are now learning a little bit more about the JFK assassination and its aftermath. Two Secret Service agents who were charged with protecting the president that very day reveal fascinating new details, and they were good enough to talk to CNNs Brian Todd about the difference that just two seconds, two seconds, could have made.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They're a pair of stoic, 78-year-old grandfathers. Gerald Blaine and Clint Hill still carry themselves in that upright tradition, still have that bond that only Secret Service agents know, and still have vivid memories of that clear, crisp day in November nearly half a century ago.

GERALD BLAINE, FORMER SECRET SERVICE AGENT: We couldn't help, but we felt like we failed. We all had the same mission, and it was a terrible feeling.

TODD: Blaine gives riveting, new accounts of that period in his just-released book "The Kennedy Detail." He reveals how less than 24 hours after John Kennedy's assassination, he almost caused another unspeakable tragedy. Blaine stood guard outside Lyndon Johnson's house in the early morning darkness. Exhausted, on edge, he heard approaching footsteps and readied his submachine gun.

BLAINE: Put it to my shoulder, steadied my feet, and around the house, I recognized right away it was President Johnson by his profile.

TODD: Johnson had just come out to get some air.

How close did you come to shooting him?

BLAINE: Well, my finger was on the trigger. I had nightmares about this for months afterwards. TODD: Johnson, he says, turned white, said nothing, and went back in the house. I spoke with Blaine and Clint Hill just a few feet from John Kennedy's grave. Hill wrote the forward to Blaine's book but has rarely spoken about that day.

You had a tough time there in those years after the assassination, after your resignation. Can you talk about what you went through?

CLINT HILL, FORMER SECRET SERVICE AGENT: You know, I had nightmares and seemed like every time I turned around, there was something that reminded me of what had happened. And so, I just clammed up and went in my basement with some alcohol and some cigarettes and stay there for a few years.

TODD: Clint Hill was the first Secret Service agent to get to Kennedy's car in Dallas. He broke into a sprint after the initial shot was fired. He says if he could relive those moments, if he could jump on the back maybe two seconds earlier --

HILL: Without a question, I'd be taking a bullet for the president, be dead.

TODD: You think that would be a happier ending if you weren't here to talk to us?

HILL: It would be a happier ending for the country and for everybody.

TODD: How do you feel about that? I mean, that's a tough thing to live with for a number of years.

HILL: Well, it's just one of those things you do live with it. You have to accept the fact that you had a certain responsibility, and you failed in that responsibility. So, you just have to accept it and live with it the best you can.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: I was so riveted, Brian Todd, by your piece. You and I were e-mailing back and forth, back and forth this morning. I want to talk first about Clint Hill who said, you know, had he been shot, if he'd taken that final bullet, it would have been a happier ending for this country. He's still tortured by that day.

TODD (on-camera): He seems to be still a little bit tortured, Brooke, not nearly as much as he was years ago. I think you might have watched that interview that he did with "60 Minutes" back in 1975 when he essentially broke down in front of the cameras and that was really, it was torturous to watch that, much less, feel for what this man was going through.

I think he's made his peace with it to some extent. Spending some time with him, though, you do get the impression that, you know, he thinks about it all the time. But, I think, the passage of the years have just, you know, enabled him to live with this and he moves on.

BALDWIN: I hope so. There's also a piece -- you couldn't get it in the piece, but you're willing to share now. Blane's account days before JFK's assassination, apparently, the president asked the Secret Service detail to back off, give him more space.

TODD: He did. This was on a political trip to Tampa on November 18, just four days before the assassination. It was a long motorcade. They were big crowds along the way. And at that time -- and I think to some extent now, on those presidential limousines, they have handles and floor boards where the Secret Service agents can kind of hold on to and be close to the president.

BALDWIN: Yes.

TODD: They were on there, and Kennedy kind of chafed at it. He asked them to back off. He later explained that, look, this is a political trip. There's an election coming up. I need to be able to interact with people, and I need you, guys, to give me some space. He said it in kind of a nice way, but he chafed at it, and they did back off. So, you know, that was kind of an interesting detail --

BALDWIN: But do they think -- do they think that had Kennedy not chafed at it, had they, you know, been closer, would history have been rewritten a different way?

TODD: Well, both Blaine -- right. And both Blaine and Hill told me, I asked them that very question. I mean, it was just days before. They told me that it had absolutely no bearing on what happened in Dallas because at the point in Dallas where the president was shot in Dealey Plaza, that's the point where the limousine would have been picking up speed anyway to get to the freeway which is just a few yards away.

And at that point, the Secret Service agents would have had to have backed off and gone to the follow up car anyway. So, they wouldn't necessarily have been on the limousine at that point anyway. But it's just kind of freaky to think of his request just days beforehand, hey, back off, I need space. And there he was in an open limousine again in Dallas.

BALDWIN: Final question and I got let you go. Lee Harvey Oswald, did they think he acted alone? Was he the lone gunman?

TODD: They think he did act alone. They say that all these conspiracy theorists are nuts. They're tired of hearing about this. They say they've seen the evidence. And they really do believe that he did act alone. They've both been back to Dealey Plaza, kind of gone over the logistics of it. Clint Hill actually said that's part of what made him kind of come to grips with the fact that he may not have been able to do anything. But they both are firmly in the belief that Lee Harvey Oswald acted by himself.

BALDWIN: The book is "The Kennedy Detail." Brian Todd, riveting stuff. Thank you. A massive manhunt under way for the person possibly linked in the shooting of a park ranger. Story is developing right now. That is next.

Plus, police call the crime shocking. A mother, her son, a family friend brutally murdered in a small town in Ohio. Her daughter, you know the story, found alive, bound and gagged inside of this guy's basement. Now, we're hearing how and when. The gruesome details the three died. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Welcome back to the NEWSROOM. We have some new details in that tragic kidnapping and murder in Ohio. So, preliminary autopsy results show this mother, her son, and a friend were stabbed to death and then dismembered. The bodies of Tina Herman, her son, Cody, and her friend, Stephanie Sprang, were found in garbage bags stuff in this hollow part of a tree at this wild life preserve. Now, the three had been missing since November 10th along with Herman's 13-year-old daughter.

There she is, Sarah Maynard. She amazingly found alive last Sunday bound and gagged in the basement of Matthew Hoffman's home. In fact, according to the coroner's report, he killed those three the same day she was found alive. Hoffman was arrested and faces kidnapping charge in the girl's abduction. He allegedly directed authorities to the missing victims. Here is how the sheriff reacted to the case.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF DAVID BARBER, KNOX COUNTY, OHIO: As the sheriff of this county for the past 18 years, I have never experienced a case this big, this serious, and this tragic. And in my entire law enforcement career, I have never experienced something like this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Full autopsies, the results, at least, they are doing about six to eight weeks.

And now, also developing in Utah, there is a person of interest in the shooting of this park ranger. the sheriff says this guy, Lance Ariano, that's him. This is from 2008. So, it's a couple years old. They believe he is armed and dangerous, and, police think he's seeking medical attention. They found a rifle, a backpack, and part of a blood-soaked T-shirt while investigating the ranger shooting. The person of interest bit means police want to question him but to be clear he's not formally accused of a crime.

Thirty-four-year-old park ranger, Brody Young, was shot multiple times while on patrol in Moab in Utah on Friday night. Our affiliate, KSL, tells us Young had stopped a man in a car. The two shot back and forth, exchanged gun fire. Young was shot in the arm, leg, and stomach. The last time we checked, he was in critical but stable conditions. The manhunt has been on since Friday night. The sheriff says police know the suspect's identity because Young wrote down his name and license plate number before the shooting. Investigators think Young shot the suspect at least once before he got away.

Many Americans, perhaps you included, kicking off the holiday week on the roads, maybe in the air, and in some places, the weather is not so festive. What do you mean it's festive? Depending on your perspective. Coming up, what you need to know about the forecast.

And, Mark Preston, Paul Steinhauser with breaking news in from the world of politics. The Cnn Political Ticker with these two is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: CNN has all of the latest political news with "The Best Political Team on Television" -- and that includes these two fine gentlemen, Mark Preston and Paul Steinhauser, at the CNNPolitics.com desk.

Good to see you guys.

Paul, I know the elections that we had across the nation at the beginning of the month, they are still - - still ongoing, is that right?

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Still ongoing. Let's talk about Minnesota. It's been nearly three weeks now since Election Day and in that governor's battle up there between Democratic former Senator Mark Dayton and Tom Emmer, the Republican nominee. No resolution yet.

Today, the Minnesota state Supreme Court hearing this case and it looks likely that it's going to go to a recount which could start next week. Dayton leads by nearly 9,000 votes.

Now, Brooke, take a look at this middle graphic here. What's left? You've got Minnesota's governor race. You got that Alaska Senate battle, that is still ongoing as well. And there are still five House races. And there are still five House races, five House races that are unresolved as well.

So, I promise you -- our pledge to you, the CNN political unit (ph) will be there for you until every race is over.

Mark Preston, what do you know?

MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL EDITOR: Well, you know what? Brooke, things have been going awfully well for President Obama. Of course, he took a shellacking, so to speak, in the midterm elections.

Well, there's this new poll out about what is his electoral prospects in 2012. This new Quinnipiac poll shows they're not so good. When asked does President Obama deserve to be reelected in 2012, only 42 percent say yes, while 49 percent say no.

Now, if there's any good news that can come out of this is that fact that we're only in 2010, Brooke. And, of course, he has some time to make up some ground, of course, and prepare for the campaign in 2012.

We should note that probably a lot of his re-election is going to be hinged upon where the economy is at this point. Right now, at 9.6 unemployment rate, that's pretty tough nationwide. A lot of people think that if he can get down into the sevens, that should really help him in his reelection -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: Yes, we've got to see that numbers changed.

STEINHAUSER: Brooke, one more number.

BALDWIN: Yes, Paul? I hear you.

STEINHAUSER: Yes, Brooke, one more number from that poll -- one more number from the poll.

BALDWIN: Go! Go!

STEINHAUSER: Take a look at this, same poll that Mark was just talking about. Look at that -- Obama versus Palin, a hypothetical matchup.

BALDWIN: Ooh!

STEINHAUSER: It may happen, may not, who knows? But check out these numbers: President Barack Obama at 48 percent in that poll. Well, actually, that's a different poll. But it's the same thing. That's our own old poll for a couple of weeks ago. That's OK. You see, Obama's got an eight-point advantage in that poll.

BALDWIN: Right.

STEINHAUSER: Quinnipiac poll that came out today, same thing, an eight-point advantage.

Zoe Littleton (ph), our camera man, zoom right in here. Take a look at this. You can, of course, go to the CNN Political Ticker for more on that poll.

And, Brooke, we always tell you -- Mark and I always tell you --

BALDWIN: Yes?

STEINHAUSER: -- these polls are snapshots of how Americans feel right now and 2012 is a long way from there.

BALDWIN: We're a fickle folk, aren't we? We change our minds a lot. So, we'll have to wait and see. We have two whole years, I guess, before that big night, election.

Mark and Paul, thank you both.

Remember, you can always get the latest political news at CNNPolitics.com and or hop on Twitter, they are @PoliticalTicker.

And just a couple of minutes away, she's walking in the studio right now this, is Katherine Schwarzenegger. I'll talk to her about all kinds of things -- like what it's like to be the "Governator's" oldest daughter. I don't know. She probably hates me saying that word.

And also, what it's like, you know, growing up in her new book. I have it here, "Rock What You've Got." That is straight ahead, cannot wait.

But, first, a dramatic rescue caught on video. Wait until you see how this one turned out. You got to see this. That is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: College students in Japan are developing some technology that can change the way you vacation forever. Hmm, got to see this. Over the weekend, 25 Japanese college teams competed in the annual robot contest held in Tokyo. Kind of cool, right?

The theme this year: robot rickshaw. The two-legged robots have to be able to carry at least one person. So, they have to be kind of strong. One carried as many as three. Whoever crosses the finish line first won. Score one for technology.

Next: People from all around the world pour into Rio de Janeiro every year to see the world's largest statue of Christ. Well, move over, Brazil. The honor belongs to Poland. That's right.

Over the weekend, a town in Poland unveiled a statue, a 172 feet tall named Christ, the King of the Universe, trumping Christ the Redeemer in Corcovado, the statue in Rio, which comes at just under 125 feet.

Next -- looks like a scene right out of "Call of Duty: Black Ops." This is Los Angeles, California. You see the police chopper -- it's pulling off its dangerous daring rescue here. You can tell it's kind of moving backwards beneath high-voltage power lines -- yikes -- all to save a man trap in a rain-swollen L.A. river. Not quite sure how the man ended up in the river. But fortunately, I know the ending -- firefighters were able to grab and pull him to safety before it was too late.

And coming up next: the lovely Katherine Schwarzenegger in the studio, in the ATL. We'll talk to Katherine about her new book, "Rock What You've Got" -- next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Let's face it. Growing up, while, it can be, you know, at points (ph) really fun, it can really tough. And for girls, it's really tough. You have to be, according to some people, pretty, popular, and apparently skinny as well.

And now, imagine being the daughter of the famous movie star- turned-governor and famous TV journalist from a kind of well-known family -- hello, pressure much?

Katherine Schwarzenegger is all about grace under pressure, though. And she tells us -- she tells girls -- I love your title -- "Rock What You've Got."

KATHERINE SCHWARZENEGGER, AUTHOR, "ROCK WHAT YOU'VE GOT": Yes.

BALDWIN: So, thanks for coming in.

SCHWARZENEGGER: Thank you for having me.

BALDWIN: And I love that you having Maya Angelou's "Phenomenal Woman," ending your book. It was a poem I had above my bed in college, all four years. Just to remind us on the bad days, right? To remind us.

So, "Rock What You've Got," why did you want to write it?

SCHWARZENEGGER: I wanted to write it really for every young girl who ever has time to being insecure and doubts about their appearance and that she feels alone. I wanted them to know they're not alone. I know I felt alone and let them know they're going to get through it and they're going to be fine.

BALDWIN: So, as I mentioned, growing up with -- your dad was "The Terminator," and I'm sure you've been asked that a million, trillion times. And then the governor -- and I read you say he still works out twice a day?

SCHWARZENEGGER: Yes, he does. He has that routine going. He wakes up in the morning and does it. And then when he gets home from work.

BALDWIN: And your mom? Gorgeous, famous journalist.

SCHWARZENEGGER: Yes.

BALDWIN: And then you had to be, you know, the first kid -- and was there pressure? There had to be some.

SCHWARZENEGGER: I mean, I don't really think there was any extra added pressure. I think that there's a huge amount of pressure on young women in general today in America, you know, to be really thin and to be beautiful and look like you just walked of a runway every single day of your life in order to be considered beautiful. But my parents, really, had me and my siblings in a very sheltered childhood, to be weren't out in the public eye, and, you know, doing anything like that. So, we had normal upbringing.

BALDWIN: But we all have our little moments, our tougher moments than others, right, when we go and find our moms? And I love how you talked about -- just maybe because I could relate -- maybe it was seventh grade when you were changing and you had to put on your P.E., your gym uniforms, which are really hot -- not so much. I had to do the same thing. So that was sort of like a first sort of awakening, a self-awareness of your body.

SCHWARZENEGGER: Yes. It was really the first time I was aware that there was more than just fat and skinny. I saw young girls tearing themselves apart in the mirror. You know, "I have fat arms, I want to get rid of this, that."

BALDWIN: We're brutal.

SCHWARZENEGGER: So hard on ourselves, it's unbelievable. So I think we should really start building ourselves up rather than tearing ourselves down.

BALDWIN: There was also another story you tell in your book about being in Costa Rica maybe your ninth grade year.

SCHWARZENEGGER: Yes, after ninth grade.

BALDWIN: After ninth grade. And you're with a bunch of girls. I mean, you really delve into some serious topics including eating disorders. And so tell me what happened that night.

SCHWARZENEGGER: Well, we had a girl on our trip was previously bulimic, and she wanted to kind of show us after eating this huge feast one night in Costa Rica how to throw up. And my best friend and I were on the trip, and we're like, this is not for us at all, we couldn't do this.

BALDWIN: You couldn't do it.

SCHWARZENEGGER: Yes. But it really shows how much pressure girls are under to be so thin and not be themselves, or embrace their curves or their womanly features. So I think that that was an example for me, that I felt that I think girls can really get into much more serious issues than just having a friend show them how to do something.

BALDWIN: Speaking of embracing your curves, I think one of the other parts of the book is it's not just for young women, it's for parents too. And you have all these sections, as you say, for moms only.

You say, "Now, mothers, pay attention to this." And there's a whole part about, look, moms, if you're staring in the mirror and you're nit-picking about your self, what do you think the daughter is going to think? You're sending that message.

SCHWARZENEGGER: Yes. I think that this is really -- body image is an issue that affects women of all different ages. It's not just a 12, 13, 14-year-old girl. It's something that women deal with throughout their entire lives.

And you really have to wake up every single morning and make the decision to think positive or negative thoughts about your body. And when a mother stands in front of the mirror and nit-picks herself, her daughter will do the exact same thing and think, oh, that's how my mom is treating herself, that's how I should treat myself as well. So I think it's important for moms to kind of be cautious of that.

BALDWIN: So you're a pretty wise college junior, Ms. Schwarzenegger.

(LAUGHTER)

BALDWIN: Talk to me about how you sort of finally became comfortable in your own skin in college. And do you still have those moments -- I know I do -- where you kind of think, oh, it's not a pretty day?

SCHWARZENEGGER: No, I definitely have times like that. I think every woman in the world wakes up sometimes and feels not so great about her body, or has felt better in the past.

But I really try to reiterate to myself the good things that I love about my body and my life. And it wasn't really until college that I reflected on my high school experience and really realized how much time I had wasted on constantly trying to fit into this cookie cutter cutout that the media puts out there for women to look like. And I really realized it's so important to embrace my curves, to embrace my features, and know that everyone has a different body, so stop comparing themselves.

BALDWIN: Amen, sister. Thank you so much.

SCHWARZENEGGER: Thank you.

BALDWIN: I appreciate it. And Happy Thanksgiving.

SCHWARZENEGGER: Thank you. You too.

BALDWIN: And still to come, it is the debate everyone is talking about -- pat-downs at the airports.

You may have to deal with this, headed to L.A., missy.

Invasive or necessary? You will hear from one flight attendant who was asked to remove her prosthetic breast. That is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Did you know this -- that in China, in the calendar year of 2009, mining accidents claimed the lives of more than 2,600 people? In fact, just this past Sunday, in Sichuan Province, a coal mine flooded, leaving 29 miners totally stranded.

Today, I can tell you that all 29, rescued. They are safe. As the Chinese television looked on live, here were those pictures.

Interesting note, though, China's English language network did a lengthy postmortem on safety issues, but the main domestic feed moved on to the other topics once the cheering stopped. The point man at the scene was the top local communist.

Listen to him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TANG LIMIN, COMMUNIST PARTY CHIEF (through translator): With our joint efforts and everyone's dedication, we achieved this, saving the 29 miners within 25 hours. I am deeply touched and excited, although the accident is really something past. We need to summarize what happened and investigate the whole process of the accident, detail it, and report it to the leaders.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Also just in, here's some more grim news out of New Zealand, where an explosion rocked a mine there Friday. Oddly enough, the same number, 29 miners. They are still missing.

In fact, we're now getting word that this robot that they sent inside the mine to try to find signs of life, apparently once it got in there, it broke. On top of all of that, authorities say air in that mine is so toxic, it's too toxic to send rescue workers in right now. There may even be a fire in there.

Despite the explosion, there is still no word as to whether parts or possibly just all of the mine collapsed. And the 29 coal miners could have walked out in theory, but they have not. We have found out that the youngest of the miners is just 17.

And Catherine Bossi, she's the flight attendant and also a breast cancer survivor. And Bossi was the subject of a TSA pat-down. The end result of that? Her standing there with her prosthetic breast in her hand.

I asked her -- I spoke with her earlier and asked her to tell me what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CATHERINE BOSSI, FLIGHT ATTENDANT, US AIRWAYS: I was pulled out by the TSA to go through the new screening device, and I've mentioned in the past, because of my breast cancer, that I was concerned about added radiation. You know, we get enough of that when we fly anyhow.

So -- but I did as I said -- I did as I was told to do because, you know, I'm an employee that loves my job and loves what I do, and just did what I was told to. When I went in there, the TSA agent told me to put my I.D. badge behind my back so they could see the whole front of my body freely.

So when I did that, and after she was done -- after they were done with the picture, she pulled me aside and said that I didn't do it correctly and now I needed to be patted down. They took me to a separate room. There were two women there.

The one told me I had put my I.D. in the wrong spot was the one that patted me down. When she came to the side of my breast that had the cancer surgery, she felt it and put her hand on top of it and asked me what it was.

When I told her I was a breast cancer survivor, and it was a prosthesis, she said she needed to see it. At that point, I removed it from my shirt and showed it to her, and then she said it was fine and I was OK to go.

I was embarrassed and ashamed. It -- you know, you don't like to say -- tell everybody you're a breast cancer survivor. And to have to show a prosthesis is -- it was just overwhelming is what I thought of it. I was embarrassed. I didn't file a complaint about it.

BALDWIN: You didn't? Why didn't you, Catherine? Why didn't you file a complaint with TSA?

BOSSI: I guess because it is my job, and I do know how important security is. I mean, I don't disagree with that. What I disagree with is, you know, touching private body parts.

BALDWIN: Where is the right? Where is the wrong? Are we being too sensitive? Has the TSA gone too far? Or is this a necessary evil?

BOSSI: I think it's kind of all three, actually. I do believe it's a necessary evil. I do believe that, you know, things need to be looked at, because, as we know, the terrorist have taken over control. In fact, we're still being terrorized by just the fact that we're now being forced to be touched in private areas by strangers.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: I do want to let you know, Catherine told me she never filed a complaint after that whole thing went down with the TSA. She also told me she has not been since patted down that way since that incident back in August.

And, you know, we all know we're going to face heightened security at our airports this week, but there is one variable here as well travel -- the weather. Chad Myers is here with what you need to know before you head out this busy, busy Thanksgiving week.

That is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

BALDWIN: I'm Brooke Baldwin. Thanks for watching the NEWSROOM.

Handing it of to "THE SITUATION ROOM," Suzanne Malveaux -- Suzanne.